Impressions
by RBHDPSMMK4EVER
Summary: This is my idea of Newly O'Brien's impressions of Kitty, Festus, Sam, Matt, and Doc as he meets them in "The Pillagers"


IMPRESSIONS

Buck Taylor as Newly O'Brien was the last person chosen as a regular cast member in the "The Pillagers." I thought it would be interesting to have a look at his impressions of Kitty, Matt, Festus, Doc, and Sam as he meets them. No money changed hands just love these characters.

I always like to think I am adventurous but not too adventurous. I try to act as if nothing too much bothers me and I just get on with life. I was kind of at loose ends with no idea where I wanted to settle down and not exactly what I would do when this adventure began.

My father died in the war when I was about eight. I was raised by my mother and Uncle Newton O'Brien M.D. in Pennsylvania. When mother died and then Uncle Newton during an influenza epidemic one winter I decided to try and find my fortune out west. I met, on a stagecoach in Beaver Creek, Kansas, what would be the beginning of my new family as we headed for Dodge City.

With a rather sketchy medical background, six months of study and lots of reading and following Uncle Newton around, a year of engineering, and two months of reading the law I wasn't fit for any profession. I loved working with my hands, and had fiddled with guns since I was young. Since that seemed to pull me more than anything I was considering becoming a gunsmith.

When I got into the stage a beautiful red haired lady was sitting across from me. I tried to start a conversation but she said nothing. Then we were joined by a dirty scruffy looking man with terrible teeth who sat very close to the lady. She let him know in no uncertain terms she didn't appreciate him invading her space. She had a low melodious voice. When he made no move to sit on his own side I threatened to throw him off the stage. She gave me the most amazing smile.

I learned her name was Kitty Russell and she lived in Dodge. I said, "Traveling with a pretty lady seems to make the trip seem not so long." She didn't seem to want to talk much in front of the other man.

Stage coach travel leaves a lot to be desired. It is dirty and dusty, bumpy, and jarring but it gets you to your destination or so we thought. It turned out we were being kidnapped by a bunch of Comancheros headed by a man named Manez. Miss Russell told me they had been causing problems in Kansas at that present time. They had recently robbed the bank in Hemmings and three men were killed and one was injured.

They seem to have had the impression I was a doctor and soon I realized it was because I had Uncle Newton's medical bag. They were not happy Miss Russell was on the stage but they informed us she would be helping me to treat Manez's brother who was shot during the robbery.

We were put in a small room in this cave with the patient who was unconscious. I admitted to Miss Russell I was not a doctor and about my uncle and that I carried my gunsmith tools in the bag. I told her, "We are in a bit of trouble." She said he had helped the Dodge City physician, Dr. Adams, upon occasion and would do what she could.

When one of the outlaws gave me problems Miss Kitty tried to defend me. She wasn't afraid to speak up and she sure was feisty. In all probability she was as scared as I was but she never showed it. My admiration for her grew.

I told her my Uncle Newton always said, "There is a time for worrying and a time for doing." So we needed to look at this wounded man and see what to do next. Checking out the wound we discovered the bullet went very deep. Miss Russell said we can't proceed without ether to prevent shock and keep him asleep.

I asked her how she knew so much about Doctor Adams, got to helping him, and about Dodge. She told me she owned the Long Branch Saloon. There were plenty of gunfights in and around the saloon and she sort of fell into acting as his nurse. I found out later a lot of the injuries she helped with concerned the town's law man.

The subject of the Long Branch was also brought up when they forced us to eat with them. One of the bandits mentioned he had spent some time in Dodge and had heard something about her and the Marshal.

Manez demanded to know if she is a law man's woman. She never blinked, her expression never changed, and she did not speak. The leader grabbed her trying to make her talk. I told him to get his hands off of her and he threatened me. They hit me and knocked me around but he still believed he needed me to save his brother so he was not going to hurt me too badly.

He did agree we could go to Dodge to get the medical equipment. I tried to get them to let me take Miss Russell but they felt having her there would assure them I would come back. When we were alone Miss Russell told me I speak my mind and she was getting to like me. I learned coming from her that was a high compliment.

I told them I should check on my patient before leaving and Miss Kitty and I had chance again for a few private words before I left. She told me to try to contact her friend, Marshal Matt Dillon, and he would help. While she was stoic during Manez's questioning when she spoke of the law man to me there was a spark in her eyes. I was pretty sure then there was more going with them that met the eye. I tried to reassure her before I left I would get help.

Manez had a man named Turner go with me. I had noticed before that he liked his liquor. It was a hot dusty ride to Dodge and when we were told the doctor wasn't in town I suggested we get out of the sun and go have a drink in the Long Branch. It was at this time I met Festus Haggen, Deputy U.S. Marshal.

Festus didn't look like my idea of a law man then. He wore a battered old hat, his appearance was disheveled, he wore not too clean looking clothing, had a scruffy beard, and his twang made me think he was from back in the hills. He certainly spoke a language all his own. It wasn't until I really got to know him I understood his home spun humor and what I called FESTUSISMS made him such a unique person with a heart of gold.

I pretended to be drunk and caused a ruckus in the saloon and that is how I met Sam. He was the bartender at the Long Branch. A very big and tall man with a gravelly voice. His face was full of wrinkles and from the appearance of his nose and an ear I wondered if he had done some boxing. His skin was the color of someone who had spent a lot of time in the sun. I assumed he would be mean but his touch was much gentler than I thought it would be and he had such kind eyes.

The deputy marshal was called and the man called Festus escorted us to the jail. I was whooping and hollering all the way. He put Turner and me in separate cells and the outlaw was out like a light. I told the lawman I needed to talk to him but he kept telling me to go and lay down until I said, "Kitty Russel and I are in trouble."

He turned to me immediately. Her name seemed to be the magic word. I kept looking at Turner to make sure he was asleep. The first thing he wanted to know was if Miss Kitty was alright. I said she was when I left but that the outlaw Manez had her. Just from the look on his face I knew how important this redhead was in this town. We spoke for a few minutes and he told me I better lay down and pretend to sleep, just in case, until the Marshal got back.

When the marshal finally returned I was amazed at how big a man he was and I was sure Miss Kitty seemed small next to his height, massive chest, and broad shoulders. He said nothing as I explained our situation but when I said they had Kitty Russell there was a tightening around his eyes and chin. He asked in a belligerent tone if she had been harmed and seemed relieved when I said no. There was no doubt in my mind then that she was very special to this man.

As we made plans for a rescue Marshal Dillon was all business. I realized that Festus was an expert tracker and as I explained our location in the canyons he figured out where we could be. I explained about the makeshift gun I had made from odds and ends and asked for a couple bullets which the law man gladly gave me. Then they took me to meet Doc Adams.

I took to him immediately. He reminded me so much of Uncle Newton. They didn't look alike as Doc was short, had a moustache, and my uncle was a tall, very thin man. Yet I instantly recognized the dedication to his patients and profession I had seen in my uncle. When Matt Dillon told him about Kitty the deep concern I saw in his face and eyes told me this woman was very special to these three men. It would be a while before I realized Sam made them a quartet of protection for the feisty saloon owner.

Doc readily gave me all the medical equipment I would need and as we prepared the bundle he asked me to consider going on with my medical studies with him. Although I considered it I never really did much more with any formal training but got plenty of practical experience over the years. He would continue to remain a source of inspiration for many more years.

Turner and I were let go but the Marshal, perhaps because of his concern for Miss Russell's safety, made a bad mistake. When he released us the next morning he didn't make us pay for the damages to the saloon. Since I had never been in that position before I didn't realize the error but Turner did and when we returned Manez tried to make me tell what I had told the marshal and he wasn't subtle about it.

They beat me up and Manez was not happy when I told him the Marshal and I discussed the size of the noose for his rope. In fact they were going to set me on fire until Miss Kitty spoke up and reminded them I was needed to help his brother. I didn't really care about what happened to the brother when Miss Russell reminded me again that if we didn't try to help him it would be like we killed him. Having helped Doc Adams with ether before she began preparing the patient.

When Turner came in to check up on us I used my makeshift gun to disarm him. We incapacitated him and I told her I hoped her friend, the marshal, would be on time for our rescue. He did arrive in time along with Festus who ended up getting wounded. That didn't stop him from coming down into the canyon to help with the clean-up. What a tough mountain man.

The Marshal was busy seeing to Kitty. He didn't embrace her or kiss her but I watched as his hands dig into her shoulders as he made sure she was alright. As we got things ready to head for Dodge I noticed if she wasn't right by his side he knew exactly where she was. Even when she said she was alright he looked her over carefully.

Their eyes met and held for several long moments as she squeezed his arm. They didn't have to say a lot their looks said it all. I noticed Festus watching but he didn't approach them. I learned later, from Festus, they were very discrete about their relationship. He had learned the marshal was afraid if people realized they were more than friends she might be in danger.

He said to me, "Ole Matthew an Miss Kitty sure does care fer each other but try ta hide it in public. Ah understands his reasons but they is the wurstest keept secret in Kansas. All ya hast ta do is see them tagether ta knows how theys feels about ta other."

I was so lucky to be included into their inner circle. I got to see first hand the grousing and complaining and deep affection between Doc and Festus. How Doc saw Kitty and Matt as the children he never had. The devotion and love between the Marshal and his Lady. The camaraderie and dedication they all felt toward Dodge and its citizens. As time went by I was asked to be a Deputy Marshal too. They made me feel so welcome.

These wonderful people were there as I lost my lovely Patricia, loving and supporting me. I rode out with Festus, and the whole town as we followed the Marshal when he went to avenge what the Dog Soldiers and Jude Bonner had done to Miss Kitty. That was the time when he did not care who knew how he felt about her. I had felt such anguish so I knew what he was feeling.

So here I am all these years later still in Dodge City. Doc is semi-retired now, Festus is married to Abelia, Matt and Kitty raise horses and little Dillons just outside town, and Merry Florene has come back into my life. What is most amazing to me, Newly O'Brien, is I am now the United States Marshal of Dodge City, Kansas. That is pretty good for a boy from Pennsylvania who climbed onto a stagecoach one day, met the most beautiful redhead he had ever seen, wasn't sure what he wanted to do with his life and met a family and a destiny.

I have edited, re-edited, and re-edited, so all mistakes are mine.


End file.
